Church Fathers Commentary Matthew 18:21-22

"Then came Peter and said to him, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? until seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times; but, Until seventy times seven." — Matthew 18:21-22 (ASV)

St. Jerome: The Lord had said above, See that you do not despise one of these little ones, and had added, If your brother sins against you, etc. He also made a promise, If two of you, etc. By this, the Apostle Peter was led to ask, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?” And to his question, he adds an opinion: “Until seven times?”

St. John Chrysostom: Peter thought that he had made a generous allowance, but what does Christ, the Lover of mankind, answer? It follows: Jesus says to him, I do not say to you, until seven times, but until seventy times seven.¹

St. Augustine of Hippo: I am bold to say that if he sins seventy-eight times, you should forgive him—yes, even a hundred times. However often he sins against you, forgive him. For if Christ found a thousand sins and yet forgave them all, do not withdraw your forgiveness. For the Apostle says, Forgive one another, if anyone has a quarrel against another, even as God in Christ forgave you (Colossians 3:13).²

St. John Chrysostom: When He says, Until seventy times seven, He is not setting a definite number as a limit for forgiveness; rather, He thereby signifies something endless and everlasting.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Yet it was not without reason that the Lord said, Seventy times seven. For the Law is set forth in ten commandments, and the Law is signified by the number ten; sin is signified by eleven, because it goes beyond the line of ten. Seven is often used to represent a whole, because time revolves in seven days. Take eleven seven times, and you have seventy-seven. He would therefore have all trespasses forgiven, for this is what He signifies by the number seventy-seven.

Origen of Alexandria: Or, because the number six seems to denote toil and labor, and the number seven repose, He says that forgiveness should be given to all brothers who live in this world and sin in the things of this world. But if anyone commits transgressions beyond these things, he will then have no further forgiveness.

St. Jerome: Or, understand it as four hundred and ninety times, that He bids us forgive our brother so often.

Rabanus Maurus: It is one thing to give pardon to a brother when he seeks it, so that he may live with us in social charity, as Joseph did to his brothers. It is another thing to forgive a hostile foe, so that we may wish him well and, if we can, do him good, as David did while mourning for Saul.

1. Hom., lxi
2. Serm., 83, 3